Masonry structure.



F. A. STAFFORD. MASONRY STRUCTURE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 12. 1915.

. Patented June 6, 1916.

wifneases Tm: COLUMBIA PLANOURAPK CO Invenfar 5y dqffarllejs.

., WASHINGTON; D. c.

UNITED srarns ra rnn'r enric FREDERICK A. STAFFORD, orcHAniToN, IOWA.

msonnr srnue'runn.

0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FnnonRioK A. STAF- FORD, a citizen of tlie'United' States, and resident of Chariton, in the county of Lucas and State of Iowa, have invented a certain new and useful Masonry Structure, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide amasonrystructure of simple, durable and inexpensive construction.

A further object is to provide a masonry structure made up of blocks each having a longitudinally reinforcing member, having at its opposite ends an eye, and a substan-' tially upright member, the blocks being 'pro vided with notches to receive the eye and upright member, a portion being so arranged as to permit, particularly in a circular structure, the upright member to be received in the eye in such a way that the blocks may be laid end to end in a course, and the reinforcing members may, if desired, be connected so as to impose initial tension on the blocks in the course without the use of any additional tools or parts, either for fastening the reinforcing members on the opposite blocks together, or for changing their form after the blocks are set.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinatlon of the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated are attained as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claim, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a top or plan view of a portion of a masonry course in the structure embodying my invention. Fig. 2 shows a side elevation of one of the blocks, and Fig.

sonry structure embodying my invention, the upper portion of the blocks being shown in vertical section along the line of reinforcement.

' In the accompanying drawings, I have used the reference numeral 10 to indicate generally a block made of any suitable plastic material, such, for instance, as concrete, which block is comparatively thin from front to back, as shown. The block may be of any desired shape, length, thickness and height, and may be curved on the arc of a circle of the structure in which the block is to be used, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Each block is provided at each end near its up:

0 shows a side elevation ofa part of a ma- 1 1 Specification of Letters il atent. PatentedJune 6,1916

Application filed July 12, 1915; Serial No. 39,484.

per portion with a notch or slot 11. The slots 11 are somewhat'exaggerated in the drawings, in order to show the parts clearly. These are preferably made just large enough to permit the reinforcing elements in the adjacent blocks in a course of ma-' sonry structure to be connected. Near the upper surface of'each block 10 is laid a longitudinally arranged reinforcing ,member 12which maybe a rod as shown. At one end of each rod is formed an eye or loop 13 and at the other end of-each rod is an upwardly inclined member 14, preferably also inclined somewhat away from the block, as illustrated in Fig. 2. I

The rod may be slightly inclined from the horizontal, or the ends of the reinforcing members in the slots may be slightly bent, so that the end of the member having the eye is inclined slightly upwardly, as at 15 in Fi 3, while the end of the member having the upwardly inclined member 14 is inclined slightly outwardly as at 14 in said- Fig. 3, for the more convenient connecting of the parts. The blocks are laid in superposed courses in broken joints in theordinary way.

' After one laid, the next block is placed in position preferably withmortar joints, which, however forms no particular part of my pres- .ent' invention. The blocks are placed end to end with one block having its end with the eye adjacent to the end of another block having the upwardly inclined portion 14. The block A,,f0r instance, in the course is laid in position, then the block B, asshown clearly in Fig. 3, is placed in position, and may be tilted slightly, if necessary, to bring the eye 13 over the upwardly inclined member 14. Mortarmay be placed -When it comes to the last member of the course, the end of the block: having the up block in the course has been If dewardly inclined member 14, is placed adjacent to the end of the block having the eye which is already laid, and the block to be laid is tilted upwardly, while the member 14 is placed just below the eye. The block to be laid is then swung downwardly and the member 14 will move into the eye 13 while the eye 13 of the block to be placed will drop over the member let on the first block of the adjacent block in the row.

The laying of the blocks in mortar will cause the notches 1.1 to be filled with plastic material, which may be as rich as desired, so that all reinforcing will be fully protected from the weather. A very strong mortar joint will be provided in which the rich moisture extends into both the adjacent blocks and surrounds and joins the connecting reinforcing members. superposed tension is imposed upon the blocks in the circular course, and a rigid thoroughly reinforced structure is produced.

It will be understood that some changes may be made in the construction of my masonry structure without departing from its essential features and purposes, and it is my intent to cover by this application any such changes which may be included within the scope of my claim.

I claim as my invention.

In a. masonry structure, a wall composed of blocks arranged in superposed courses, with the blocks of the adjacent courses staggered with relation to each other, each block having in its upper surface, at its ends comparatively shallow recesses. each block having in its upper portion a longitudinally arranged reinforcing member, the ends of which project into said recesses, one

end of each reinforcing member having formed thereon a horizontal loop or eye, the other end having an upward extension, the parts being so arranged that when a block has been placed in a course, the next block may be laid into position endwise with the first block, and'with the loop or eye of the reinforcing member of one block receiving.

the upward extension of the reinforcing member of the other block substantially on a line between the blocks, and at such a pointas to be convenient of access with a tool or the like from above the course, the parts being so arranged that by filling the recesses, between the adjacent blocks'in a course, the reinforcing members may be entirely covered with'plastic material, the pro jecting ends of the reinforcing members, at

.the opposite ends of each block, being arthereof and the upwardly extending por-' tions being so inclined, that when the blocks are assembled together end to end,

initial strain is imposed on the reinforcing.

Des Moines, Iowa, July 6, 1915.

FREDERICK A. STAFFORD.

lVitncsses A. B. Gooxm, VALTER C. GOOKIN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained {or five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G." 

